![]() Each spasm lasts just a second or two, and babies can have up to 100 of them per day. Infantile spasms often start when a baby is 4 to 7 months old. These rare seizures look like a sudden stiffening of the baby's arms, legs, or head, which may also jut forward. A few other medical conditions also cause this symptom. Hypertonia isn't the only possible reason for a baby to stiffen their body. Other reasons why your baby may stiffen their body Problems that happened when the brain developed in the womb.Exposure to a chemical that affects the brain.Possible causes of hypertonia in babies include: In hypertonia, the baby's muscles don't get the signal to relax. An injury to the brain or spinal cord can prevent those signals from reaching the nerves. When a baby wants to move, signals from their nervous system (brain and spinal cord) travel to their nerves, which direct their muscles to contract or relax. Babies with contractures may not be able to move the affected body part much, or at all. In severe hypertonia, the joint can freeze in place. ![]() ![]() Have trouble moving their joints, especially joints in the arms, legs, or neck.In general, a child with hypertonia might: Where that stiffness occurs and how severe it is can vary based on the cause. Muscle stiffness is the main symptom of hypertonia. Dystonic hypertonia is when muscle tone stays the same whether the baby is moving or still.ĭoctors will move a baby's arms and legs in different directions at various speeds to figure out which type of hypertonia they have.Spastic hypertonia is muscle spasms and exaggerated reflexes that increase when a baby moves.They may have trouble walking, balancing, and letting go of objects they've grabbed. Often hypertonia affects a baby's arm, leg, and neck muscles.Ĭhildren with hypertonia move in different ways because they often have a limited range of motion at their joints. While babies need to contract their muscles to move their bodies and sit upright, muscles that are continually contracted are less flexible. It happens because of damage to areas of the brain and spinal cord that control muscle movements. Hypertonia is a condition that makes a baby's muscles stiff and hard to move. But in other cases, a baby stiffening their body or arms and legs can indicate a problem. Some older babies stiffen up to resist doing something they dislike, such as getting a diaper change or being put into their car seat.Īll of these situations are perfectly normal. Your baby may also be discovering new ways to use their muscles. And colic can make babies pull in and tighten their arms and legs, tense their abdomen, and clench their fists. Often this type of stiffening is no big deal.Ĭhildren might also stiffen up their bottoms when they're having a bowel movement, especially if the stool is hard. While she's currently traveling the world as a nomad, you can catch her learning about the psychology of dating, attempting new adventure sports, and embracing the Blue Zone way of life.Babies sometimes stiffen their legs and arms or tighten up their body when you pick them up or they get excited or frustrated. Since then, she's explored a variety of workouts, from weightlifting, running, and cycling to yoga, and continued cheering on the nonprofit team Cheer New York in New York City. Her passion for all things health and fitness began as a teenager, when she first started learning about nutrition and training as a competitive cheerleader. Prior to Shape, she worked for the digital team at Self Magazine and interned at Marie Claire. ![]() ![]() in Journalism and minors in Writing and Honors, and while there, she also studied Sex, Gender, and Desire and The Science and Philosophy of Sex and Love. In 2015, she graduated from Ithaca College with a B.A. She's certified as a personal trainer and fitness nutrition specialist through the American Council on Exercise, and is currently working on her health coach certification. Lauren Mazzo has been working as a health and fitness writer and editor since 2015 - including six years at Shape, where she was formerly the senior editor. ![]()
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